Risk of Sandy-Level Flood in NYC Has Doubled Since 1950

As the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches, a new study points to the rapidly escalating risk of Sandy-magnitude flooding events in the New York City area. The study, published Thursday in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, found that sea level rise has already doubled the annual probability of a Sandy-level flood in New York City since 1950.

Rising seas are a consequence of manmade global warming, as well as local shifts in land surface elevations. Sea level rise has accelerated in recent years, from a rate of 1.7 millimeters per year between 1901 to 2010, up to 3.2 millimeters per year between 1993 and 2010.

Risk of Sandy-Level Flood in NYC Has Doubled Since 1950